Family Affair by Elle M Thomas
Epilogue – One Year Later
Declan
Tonight is a big night and I am nervous, which is not something I am overly accustomed to.
After a few delays with planning permission and building work, not to mention Liv doing the design on the place, my new club in the old cinema is opening. It’s not a full opening with customers, but a launch night for local businesses, friends, family, the press and a few local influencers.
My other business venture that I originally thought of as being a coffee shop come bistro, opened a few months ago. It is a coffee shop primarily, but from lunch time onwards we serve cocktails and wine. Due to its location on a High Street and being surrounded by nine til five shops, we opted not to open late nights, so it’s now a nine til nine business. Anita is the manager and although she’s not there full time, she keeps it stocked with her own cakes which are ridiculously popular, but she tends not to do the evenings.
I am going to maintain my role at Dazzler but as the new place, Jubilation, the name of another comic book heroine, opens, I will need to have managers too. In fact, Liv’s brother, Scott has been working at Dazzler for about nine months now and has agreed to be the manager at the new place.
“What do you think?” Anita interrupts my thoughts.
I turn and drink in the image before me. She looks absolutely phenomenal standing in a white dress that after skimming over her chest and abs, nips in at her waist before flaring slightly into a skirt that finishes mid-thigh. I drop my gaze to her feet and lower legs that are encased in a series of silver straps, zigzagging from her stiletto shoes.
“I think I should have left an hour ago because we are at serious risk of being late for our own launch night.”
Anita giggles then throws in a squeal for good measure as I pull her to me, crushing her against my chest.
“You look fucking phenomenal in white.”
A tiny blush creeps across her cheeks. If she isn’t the most adorable woman in the world.
“Thank you,” she all but whispers.
“You are going to make a seriously hot bride.”
Her flush deepens. “Eight weeks and counting, Stud.”
Pulling her even closer, I prepare to kiss her. “Remind me again, why aren’t you my wife yet?”
With precision timing, the sound of crying fills our home.
“Our yes, the birth of our son railroaded everything.” I lean down and kiss the end of her nose before pulling away at the split second the intercom buzzes into life. “You deal with the intercom, and I’ll deal with our boy, Charlie.”
It’s only a matter of a couple of minutes before I return to find my home filled with Liv, Mase, their baby, Phoebe, and my dad, the babysitter for the night.
Phoebe is already dressed in pyjamas and dozing off on Mase’s shoulder. He really never has been so happy, and he’s not the only one. We both have women we’re crazy about and children we cherish.
Charlie who is only three months old, becomes a little restless as he is due a feed. Anita rushes to the kitchen to prepare a bottle before returning and handing it to my dad who is chatting to my son while Phoebe sits on Mase’s lap gazing up at her father with clear adoration in her eyes.
With the baby now suckling on his bottle, my dad continues to chat to his grandchildren. “Are you going to be a good girl for Grandad and help me look after Charlie Boy?”
Phoebe gives him a gummy grin and chuckles before letting out a long, loud yawn.
“Do you hear that, Charlie? I think we might be on our own tonight.”
I smile, watching the amazing dad Mase and I were fortunate enough to grow up with, being an even more amazing grandfather.
“When this lot have all gone, why don’t I tell you all about how I grounded your mummy long enough for Daddy to get his act together?”
Immediately, my eyes seek out Anita’s who is arching a brow at my dad’s words. “I still can’t believe you did that. I don’t even know how you did that!”
Phoebe begins to babble at her grandad, maybe sensing that his attention was solely on Charlie.
He looks down at her and with some juggling of my son and his bottle, he pulls her onto his lap. “And you, young lady, why don’t I tell you all about how I had to literally watch your mummy’s every move.”
Liv rolls her eyes. “Or maybe don’t because with how overprotective Mase is with me and Phoebe, you’ll be implanting a tracking device in us both.”
Dad laughs, but Mase doesn’t. “Livy, I am not overprotective, just careful where my girls are concerned.” He checks his watch. “Right, let’s get moving then.” Turning to Dad, he begins to give him instructions.
“Mason, I managed to care for you, your brother and your sister, so this won’t be too difficult.”
A little snort comes from Phoebe who has already fallen asleep in my dad’s embrace.
“Any problems call, and we won’t be late,” Mase continues.
“Speak for yourself,” chips in Liv making me and Anita who I have wrapped in my arms, laugh. “This is my first night out in over a year and I plan on making it count by working my way through your overpriced cocktail menu.”
Anita appears to be about to throw in her support and I suspect, her companionship in this plan when I interrupt. “Good to hear, Liv, but you,” I turn Anita to face me, “Are still breast feeding, so you will be on non-alcoholic options. Now, let’s go.”
Anita
Bouncing into the middle of the bed is not exactly romantic, but as I look up and find Dec standing at the side of the bed watching me, I decide this is possibly the most romantic thing ever.
Dec always looks amazing, to me anyway, but today, standing in a very well-cut three-piece suit, he looks out of this world handsome. I have no idea how this happened, me and Dec, not really. I should never have been lucky enough to find someone who would love me like he does and add to that the fact that I feel the same way about him, it just seems too perfect. It’s not that we don’t deserve loving like that, but the chances of finding someone who fits you so perfectly and feels the same is rare.
“So, Mrs Harding, at last.”
My face is splitting in two with happiness and the grin I’m wearing supports that feeling. I am Mrs Harding as of about ten hours ago and the day has been perfect from the weather to the flowers, the venue to the food, but most importantly, the people; me, Dec, Charlie, our families, and closest friends.
This is the first night since Charlie’s birth about six months ago that he hasn’t been with us overnight. He is currently with my parents, for one night only as we spend our first night together as husband and wife. My grin only broadens when I think of my baby. He is perfect in every way. It was a huge shock to find myself pregnant rather than suffering from food poisoning a couple of weeks after Declan boarded my plane. I still can’t believe he did that and moreover, I can’t believe that my now father-in-law had the powers to ground my plane to allow Dec to. When I started vomiting, I assumed it was food poisoning or a bug, but it quickly became clear that it wasn’t that and one pregnancy test later, confirmed that our first night together after disembarking that flight to Greece had resulted in Charlie. That night when I didn’t even think about the fact that I’d stopped taking the pill weeks before when I was nursing my broken heart and the thought of contraception, never mind the discussion wasn’t something either of us considered.
Dec was with me when I took the test and I think he was nervous that I might not want the baby, but nothing was further from the truth. From the second I knew he existed there was nothing I wanted more than to carry my baby, deliver him, and this time keep him. Fortunately, Dec felt the same way and my nine months of pregnancy were some of the happiest of my life.
The only blot during that time was Christian. He incorrectly assumed I or maybe Mase and Dec was going to tell his wife, so he pre-empted it with a very distorted version of events which led to her confronting me at a family dinner where, after I tried to deflect her name calling and accusations, Liv came to my rescue, leaving her in no doubt of the truth. I felt guilty knowing whatever fallout there was, I had to accept some responsibility. The fallout was that she threw him out of their home and as far as we all know, he still has regular contact with the children, but his marriage seems to be over. I do feel bad about that when I think about it but as Dec, my family, and in-laws as well as Mase and Liv point out, I was innocent in the lies and deceit Christian perpetuated and now accept that, refusing to allow my past to impact any further on my future.
I see Dec’s jacket fly across the room and then his hands move to his tie.
“Let me.” I get up onto my knees and virtually crawl to him.
In the space of minutes, all clothes have been shed. My beautiful wedding dress lies in a heap on the floor somewhere. I remember trying the dress on for the first time and both Liv and my mum cried with me, knowing it was just perfect for me, simplistic with a boho-inspired twist. The V-neckline of my dress has linear dotted laces twisted and wrapped around it to make a banded detail, the same as the wide waistband. Even I had to admit it defined my shape but remained comfortable, unlike so many of the others I tried on. Having recently having had Charlie, I was thrilled to find a dress that had some stretch in it without it being a second skin. The flowing A-line skirt and elongated train complete the flattering shape that I felt both comfortable and beautiful in. My dad cried when he saw me in it and Dec was beyond complimentary.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” Dec gazes down at me, lying in the middle of the huge bed we have in the honeymoon suite we’re in.
“You’re pretty gorgeous yourself,” I tell him, and he is. The most perfect specimen of a man I have ever seen.
“Sounds as though we’re perfect for one another then.”
I giggle until Dec moves closer, hovering over me, preparing to kiss me. As soon as his lips land on mine, nothing else exists. Our bodies work in perfect unison, fitting together seamlessly until we are one.
THE END
Have you read Mason and Olivia’s story yet? Keep reading to find out how it all started for Mase and Liv.